Tyranny of Testing

by Banesh Hoffman

In this classic critique, a mathematician and educator--who served for many years as a test consultant--challenges the supremacy of standardized testing, demonstrating the inherent flaws in aptitude and achievement tests. Recommended reading for teachers and others involved in education.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

223 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 1978

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll probably never look at multiple-choice tests the same way again.

[John G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit, I almost put this book down several times when the author got into too much mind numbing detail about the individual test questions, but I'm glad I powered through. This was book written by a disgruntled insider who knows the tricks of the trade he seeks to expose, so we ca call him a whistle blower if you will. Naturally, the powers that be like to attack when exposed and it's interesting for me to see the author clue us in to the defense tactics. What I take away from this book is that the testing experts expect us to defer to the expertise, their statistical evidence and their supposed objective science. This author calls them out on their BS and it is that indeed, they hide behind stats and reputation and discount individual personal judgement. These tests are quite sinister, they reward a very narrow, conformist, standardized form of thinking and that's what I beginning to see really as the hidden purpose of education, uniformity and instilling docile obedience to arbitrary and unprincipled authority. It strikes me as very sad indeed that our educational system has become a giant sorting and screening device and that's what these tests accomplish. My fave statement in the book, "For would not the experiment have demonstrated that the tests were fostering opportunism, conformism, tong-in-cheek cynicism, and intellectual dishonesty?" Yes, Dr. Hoffman, yes they do, maybe these are the exact qualities needed to advance in the corporate and academic worlds and to screen those who don't fit in? Close with a quote from good ol' Noam Chomsky, "The whole educational and professional training system is a very elaborate filter, which just weeds out people who are too independent, and who think for themselves, and who don't know how to be submissive, and so on- because they're dysfunctional to the institutions." Amen!

[Nguyen Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind-blowing! Even though this book sets in the context of the US back in the 60-70s, it is still relevant today especially in developing countries. I have always had doubt about testing and their true validity on judging students' abilities or success, and multiple-choice tests have always been used upon students and we all took it for granted, not questioning why they were there in the first place. The book also explains how we are inclined to trick our mind into the so-called statistical data that somewhat inform us about students' skills, knowledge and capacity. Student got 4 out of 10? Hmm, not so smart.
One greatest thing that was eye-opening to me was that the "best" answer is not the best answer from the student, but the "wanted" answer by the test makers!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite this book being 50 years old, it still raises profoundly important questions about how and why we test. I loved it.